How Do I Find the OE Spark Plugs For My Car?
A great question that I get asked on a regular basis. But to make this little game of hide and seek as stress-free as possible, I’m going to point you to 3 simple areas. Your car, your owners manual, and a great online resource to find not only the stock plug for your car, but every other spark plug that is available.
If I had my way, there would be a sticker under the hood of all my vehicles that lists the OE part numbers of every major component – light bulbs and paint color included. While we’re at it, a handy mechanic that lives under there and performs daily maintenance would be nice too. But as long as we don’t live in a perfect world, we have to go hunting for this stuff.
Some vehicle manufacturers have kindly put the OE spark plug part number, yes, on a sticker even, under the hood, complete with recommended gap setting. But, if you’re in the same boat as me, and 90% of the rest of the world, your next stop is the owner’s manual. Don’t have the owner’s manual? I’ve got one more fabulous resource for you – and this one, you’re going to love!
Check out this cool tool at SparkPlugs.com – use the vehicle lookup to find your car. What magically appears in front of you is every spark plug available for your car by NGK, Denso, Bosch, Autolite, Champion, E3, Splitfire and Pulstar, complete with recommended gap settings. There will likely be some plugs that say something along the lines of “OE manufacturer or OE type”. If you know the brand of the original plugs in your car, just find that brands plug with that handy label. Those are the stock plugs. All other plugs with that label are the stock equivalent in other brands.
Want more information on any of those plugs? Roll over the part number and the plug specs and image appear on the left hand side. Click on the “more info” button and even more details come up. Looking for better performance or gas mileage? After talking with some mechanics and spark plug techs we’ve learned 2 things.
#1- Never use lower quality. If the stock plugs on your vehicle are higher quality than standard nickel plugs, the vehicle manufacturer likely used them for a reason. Some manufacturers are starting to see the advantages of using these ‘high performance’ plugs. Others have had the spark plug manufacturer make that specific spark plug for your specific engine. Downgrading to a cheaper/inferior plug could actually lower your engine’s performance and gas mileage or even cause engine damage.
#2- Upgrading your plugs CAN increase your performance. Studies have shown that using this newer technology, such as iridium and fine wire plugs, can actually increase a vehicles gas mileage, horsepower and performance.
How can you tell what would be an upgrade vs. a downgrade? According to SparkPlugs.com, the list of available plugs is categorized according to a variety of factors that affect a plugs performance, resulting in a “good, better and best” sort of ranking, with the best plugs starting at the top. With the information they’ve provided, it helps tuners like us to find the best quality at the best price, and allow our babies to keep pluggin along (no pun intended). Happy Tuning!